The Rugby Championship schedule announcement has descended into a fresh trans-Tasman brawl after NZ Rugby CEO Mark Robinson accused Rugby Australia of reneging on a “commitment” that the All Blacks would be out of quarantine before Christmas.
Sanzaar’s released the schedule for tournament, with the All Blacks set to play the Wallabies in Sydney on December 12, the final game of the six-week tournament.
However, the date of that game brought immediate condemnation from Robinson, given a two-week quarantine period would mean that All Blacks players and staff would still be in managed isolation on Christmas Day upon their return home.
Asked if the All Blacks could even skip that final game on that date, Robinson refused to rule it out saying they are looking a whole lot of different options at the moment.
The latest bitter dispute between NZ Rugby and Rugby Australia centres on what was agreed when it looked like New Zealand was going to host the tournament.
Both parties concurred on one point – that the Springboks and Pumas, who are short of game time, wanted and needed a six-week tournament schedule.
NZ Rugby’s goal is to finish the tournament on December 5 or 6 – potentially by staging midweek fixtures – but clearly the situation is complex, and South Africa and Argentina are unlikely to budge from their positions.
